Time-frequency analysis of Li solid-phase diffusion in spherical active particles under typical discharge modes

Li transient concentration distribution in spherical active material particles can affect the maximum power density and the safe operating regime of the electric vehicles (EVs). On one hand, the quasi-exact/exact solution obtained in the time/frequency domain is time-consuming and just as a reference value for approximate solutions; on the other hand, calculation errors and application range of approximate solutions not only rely on approximate algorithms but also on discharge modes. For the purpose to track the transient dynamics for Li solid-phase diffusion in spherical active particles with a tolerable error range and for a wide applicable range, it is necessary to choose optimal approximate algorithms in terms of discharge modes and the nature of active material particles. In this study, approximation methods, such as diffusion length method, polynomial profile approximation method, Padé approximation method, pseudo steady state method, eigenfunction-based Galerkin collocation method, and separation of variables method for solving Li solid-phase diffusion in spherical active particles are compared from calculation fundamentals to algorithm implementation. Furthermore, these approximate solutions are quantitatively compared to the quasi-exact/exact solution in the time/frequency domain under typical discharge modes, i.e., start-up, slow-down, and speed-up. The results obtained from the viewpoint of time-frequency analysis offer a theoretical foundation on how to track Li transient concentration profile in spherical active particles with a high precision and for a wide application range. In turn, optimal solutions of Li solid diffusion equations for spherical active particles can improve the reliability in predicting safe operating regime and estimating maximum power for automotive batteries.